God called Jesus Christ to what seemed unmitigated disaster. Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death; He led every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. Jesus Christ’s life was an absolute failure from every standpoint but God’s. (Oswald Chambers. August 5 in My Utmost for His Highest).
One central reason that we are so fond of the story of Jesus is that we have tamed his tragic story by complete familiarity with the wonderful outcome. How about our story? How about our ministry?
I was a pastor of two remarkable churches for 16+ years each. I can tell you clearly what my goals and plans were for each ministry…at least after my long rookie years. In neither place did I really accomplish my goals. Did I fail? We all have fans and critics and our own conscience that weighs in on this question.
I can tell you that both churches still have active lead staff who were with me, including one from the late 1980s. Both churches were thriving (far beyond my abilities or gifts) five years after I left. It helped that I was gone. They continued to thrive.
Years after I left one church, a new staff member explained to me, offhand, what my impact on the church had been. I was shocked. Here is the simple way to put it. I was working and praying to achieve ‘this’ while God was doing ‘that’. God did something much bigger than was on my agenda.
Imagine my conversation with God:
Me, “God, I’m working to do this, and I’m praying about it and focusing every effort on my goals.”
God, “That is worthy, my child.”
Me: “But I’m not getting very far with my goals. I’m frustrated, and some things are going badly.”
God, “That is all right because I am accomplishing something else through you.”
Me: “Something else?”
God, “You are working hard to accomplish this, but I am using you and your efforts to accomplish that.”
Me, “Wait, are you stating that we are not on the same page?”
God, “No, I’m saying that while you are working to accomplish this according to your plan, I am using you to accomplish that according to my plan.”
Me, “But I am not getting much of anywhere with my goals.”
God, “I care about you, but I am not concerned about your goals compared to my goals. I am using you to accomplish my goals. You are actually doing just that.”
Me, “I am confused. What am I doing in ministry if I do not even know what I am accomplishing?”
God, “Just be faithful to me and keep up your ministry.”
Me, “But I’m way off base according to you.”
God, “I did not say that, and I do not mean that you are off base. I am using you to accomplish my plan.”
The problem is that we want to be a partner in determining what God will do or accomplish.
Later, Chambers continues in his Aug 5 text, “God is working out His purposes. If we are in communion with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, we shall no longer try to find out what His purposes are. As we go on in the Christian life, it gets simpler….”
May we fail in ministry in a manner that is at least a shadow of the apparent failure of Jesus’ ministry on earth.